


A Shoulder to Cry On

by Jackie_SugarSkull



Category: Captain Underpants Series - Dav Pilkey
Genre: Gen, That flashback hurt to watch, and a better mom too, like I said Benny needs a best friend, seriously WHAT THE HECK BERNICE?!, so I’m gonna fix it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-16
Updated: 2018-07-16
Packaged: 2019-06-11 11:33:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,407
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15314589
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jackie_SugarSkull/pseuds/Jackie_SugarSkull
Summary: ...It’s what everyone needs every once in a while. And after a disastrous talent show back in 4th Grade, it was exactly what little Benny Krupp needed. And luckily, Sawyer Grayps was more than willing to provide one. Alternate scene/slight spoilers for Episode 11 of “The Epic Tales of Captain Underpants”.





	A Shoulder to Cry On

**Author's Note:**

> The flashback scene in Episode 11 just broke my heart. And a friend of mine on Tumblr wanted to see what would have happened if my OC Sawyer had been there to comfort Benny. I was more than happy to provide! ;)  
> Also, in an earlier episode, it’s revealed that CU seems to have some of Krupp’s memories, as he mentioned that he “started going bald in his teens”. But Krupp was at least 10 in this flashback, and was STILL bald. So I thought I’d put in a plausible reason for that.

“Benny...? Benny! Benny, where are you?” 

10-year-old Sawyer Grayps scanned the school halls for her best friend, Benny Krupp. She had been quick to follow him after the poor kid had run off the stage in tears. 

The talent show had been a _complete disaster_. It had taken a LOT of encouragement on her part to convince him to even _sign up_ to begin with. And it honestly looked like he was having fun for a change (even if his rap’s lyrics, and his dance moves, needed... um... a little polishing. And that Sawyer seemed to be _the only one_ cheering him on). But in one fell swoop... Bernice Krupp, _Benny’s own Mom_... ruined **everything**! Sawyer growled under her breath at the all-too-recent memory. 

“Fire at will, kids!” She had heard Mrs. Krupp yell after chucking a tomato at him. “I need that boy milkin’!” What kind of mother brings a basket of rotten fruit and vegetables for everyone to pelt her own son with?! Benny had enough self-esteem issues already! Especially after Mrs. Krupp had forced him to shave his head just the week prior. She had said that Benny’s shaggy hair was “makin’ it hard for him to see when he was doing his chores”. That was a lie, and Sawyer knew it. Mrs. Krupp was just trying to shatter the poor kid’s confidence, and make sure he stayed working on the family farm. And after what just happened, it was beginning to look like she succeeded. 

The sound of heart wrenching, pitiful sobbing pulled her from her angry thoughts. She quickly looked around, her shoulder-length dirty blonde hair whipping her face, trying to find the source. It didn’t take too long for her to find it. 

The Boys’ Bathroom. She should’ve known. Benny always hid in the bathroom whenever he had been having a rough day at school, which unfortunately, was almost _every day_. And rules and dignity be darned, she always followed him in there to comfort him! Which is exactly what she did. 

“Benny?” She opened the stall door. Her best friend looked terrible. He was sitting on the toilet, a complete sobbing mess. His face, pink tracksuit, and wig were covered with the remnants of overripe fruits and veggies. 

“Leave me alone!” He heartbreakingly sobbed, trying his best to turn his back to her so she wouldn’t see how pathetic he looked. That only strengthened her resolve. 

“No.” 

“Huh?” He finally looked up at her. 

“You’re my best friend, Benny,” She said. “And friends don’t leave friends when they’re hurting!” She then grabbed a paper towel, wet it in one of the sinks, and went to work cleaning the fruit-and-veggie guts off her friend’s face. 

“I don’t think I can take this anymore...” Benny murmured. Sawyer inwardly scowled at just how _broken_ he sounded. 

“Your Mom went too far this time.” 

“IT’S NOT JUST MY MOM, IT’S EVERYBODY!” She jumped at his sudden outburst. Benny looked angry. Uncharacteristically angry. “You’re the _only person _that cares, Sawyer! Everyone else hates me!”__

__“Benny, they don’t hate you...” She tried to comfort him, but he was too angry and hurt at this point to listen.__

 _ _“YES THEY DO! UGGGH! THAT’S _IT!_ ” He yelled, then threw his wig on the ground, his teeth going sharp and fury shining in his eyes. “If they think I’m such a monster, then _fine_. That’s _exactly_ what I’ll give ‘em!” _ _

__Sawyer frowned at this. This wasn’t like her best friend at all. Mrs. Krupp had finally done it. She had broken her son. But like heck was Sawyer Grayps gonna stand by and let this escalate into something worse. She grabbed him by his shirt, pulled him close and looked him dead in the eyes, her own blazing with determination._ _

__“Benjamin Krupp... you listen to me, and you listen good,” she said lowly. “You are _not_ that kind of person. You are NOT a bully! _YOU ARE NOT YOUR MOTHER! _” She took a shaky breath and released him from her grip, tears starting to form in her eyes. “You are a kind, sweet, smart, talented boy, who I’m lucky to call my best friend in the whole world,” she gave him a quick, watery smile and wiped her tears away, before giving him a serious look. “And if _anyone_ has a problem with that, they’ll answer to _me_.” She punched her palm in emphasis. ___ _

__Benny’s jaw dropped slightly as he looked at her with wide eyes, his previous anger having faded as her words sank in. Tears filled his eyes once more as he jumped off the toilet and hugged her._ _

__“You’re my best friend in the whole world, too!” He cried, burying his face in her shoulder as he let all his emotions out. Sawyer smiled and returned the hug full force, rubbing his back. She could feel her shirt getting soaked by his tears, but she didn’t care. Benny needed this._ _

__The two friends stayed like that for some time, until Benny finally calmed down. Pulling away from her, he wiped away what was left of his tears and smiled._ _

__“Thanks, Sawyer...” he said. She grinned back at him._ _

__“Hey, it’s what friends are for. Loving and supporting you.” She frowned a bit as she then muttered under her breath, “Which is what your mom _should_ be doing...” Ben’s keen ears caught that last part. _ _

__“My mom supports me!” he tried to defend. But a pointed look from Sawyer got the truth out of him. “Sometimes...” Sawyer rolled her eyes._ _

__“Oh yeah, she’s Mother of the Year.” The bitter sarcasm in her voice was so thick, you would’ve had to cut it with a chainsaw. Benny frowned a little._ _

__“Please don’t be too hard on my Mom, Sawyer,” he pleaded slightly. “Things have been rough for her since...” he teared up again and swallowed the lump in his throat before continuing. “...since Dad died. She’s had to manage the farm all by herself, _and_ raise me, Jasper, and our baby sister at the same time!” Sawyer’s eyes softened a bit at this. No one in either the Krupp or the Grayps family had handled the news of John Krupp’s untimely death particularly well. Especially Benny. He and his Dad were very close. John was always there to support and encourage him, but after he passed... it did no favors for Benny’s confidence. _ _

__“I know...” she murmured. “But it’s still no excuse. She’s your _Mom_. She needs to be there for you more!” _ _

__“I know,” he shrugged. “But you know how she is.”_ _

__“Unfortunately...” she muttered. She then picked up Benny’s discarded wig and handed it to him. He considered it for a moment, before smiling and throwing it in a nearby trash can._ _

__“It’ll grow back. Eventually...” he then thought to himself. “My mom was right about one thing, though...” Sawyer tilted her head quizzically._ _

__“Oh yeah? What?”_ _

__“I do need to watch the cows at night,” he explained as the two finally left the boys’ bathroom. “Otherwise they keep ringing the doorbell.”_ _

__“...Your cows ring the doorbell?”_ _

__“All. Night. Long.”_ _

__“Yikes.”_ _

__“Tell me about it.” Sawyer smiled sympathetically at him as the headed down the main hall._ _

__“One thing I still don’t get,” she said after a moment. “Your family’s _Jewish_ , and yet you own a cow farm. I thought eating meat and dairy wasn’t kosher. Heck, I thought you couldn’t eat meat at all.” Benny couldn’t help but laugh. _ _

__“Well, you are kinda right. But it’s pork and ham we’re not allowed to eat,” he elaborated. “You can be kosher and still eat beef, though. It’s kinda expensive when you’re not cooking the meat yourself, but it’s still possible.” A thoughtful look crossed Sawyer’s face as she processed this new information._ _

__“Huh... you learn something new every day,” she said with a smile. “You know Benny, I think you’d be a good teacher some day.” He looked at her in surprise._ _

__“You really think so?”_ _

__“I know so! Heck, you could even be a pretty cool principal! You’d be a better one than Rhanty, that’s for sure.” Benny suppressed the urge to shudder at the mention of their cruel principal, and smirked as they reached the school entrance._ _

__“Not that he’s set the bar too high to begin with...” he joked. That got a good cackle out of Sawyer._ _

__“True!”_ _

__And with that, the two exited the school, their friendly laughter filling the night air._ _


End file.
